The Mentalist: Teresa's Heart
by navnit
Summary: Season 1 AU. What if Jane actually falls in love with Lisbon in the four something years they already know one another before the Pilot, this is my take on how different he would be towards Lisbon if his feelings ran deeper. Each chapter will follow each episode. Spoilers throughout all five seasons especially 5x05. Jane/Lisbon obviously.
1. Chapter 1

**The Mentalist: Teresa's Heart**

**Prologue**

Guilt that's the first and foremost emotion on Patrick Jane's mind every second of everyday. Red John may have killed his family personally but no one could deny the fact that if he hadn't said anything to provoke the serial killer than his wife and daughter, his ever enduring and forgiving Angela and his pure and innocent Charlotte, would most certainly still be alive today.

It would have also gone without saying that without the horrible tragedy that happened to him he would never be the humbled man he was now. Without Red Johns interference Patrick knew that he himself would have led to the destruction of is family.

Angela had grown tired of all the lies that needed to be told to keep the illusion that she was a psychic's wife. But she had endured it when they were newlyweds. It would have been hypocritical of her to say what he was doing was wrong when they both had been doing the same thing for years in the carnival.

It became different when Charlotte was born. One of the first things that was asked whenever anyone interviewed Patrick now was whether or not he had known that he would be having a girl because of his psychic powers.

Angela and even Patrick to some extent had hated the fact that Charlotte, who in a lot of ways symbolised the new life that they had started, was still not able to escape the life of deceit that their parents came from.

Angela had constantly asked Patrick to try and give up it all, it had led to some of the first arguments that the couple had ever had. Patrick had understood where his wife was coming from but this life was something he was born into.

It was rare that someone like him got to live the lavish lifestyle that they had gotten used to living and even though Angela was ready to give up the money for an honest living Patrick refused to subject his daughter to substandard living when he had the ability to provide the best for her.

It was this argument that always got to Angela because Patrick Jane might have been a lot of things but no one could ever accuse him of being a bad father or husband. It killed Angela inside to see him so despondent over the fact that his integrity as a provider for his family was being questioned by his own wife.

Angela had been so proud of Patrick when he had come home smiling a few months after their initial days of arguments. Things had been strained after the fighting and Patrick had been sleeping on the brown leather couch downstairs a lot. She hadn't barred him from the bedroom but Patricks own self helplessness held him back to sleeping with his own wife most nights.

Patrick had come bursting through the front door waving an envelope in the air and sporting the smile that had made fall in love with him in the first place. Angela was teaching Charlotte how to play the piano and Patrick had been properly cowed and repentant when the five year old had shot him reproachful look at him for interrupting.

After the rehearsal of Beethoven's Fur Elise was finished and the proper and completely sincere praises were showered on their daughter Patrick pulled Angela aside and told her with barely concealed excitement that he had found a solution to their problems. He proceeded to hand the envelope to his wife. Angela pulled out first of the two pieces of paper that was in it. The first was list of companies in which Patrick had apparently invested substantial sums of money.

Patrick and Angela were pretty well versed in the financial aspects of their lives and she knew that he hadn't gone overboard and spent all of their money on this business venture of his, and looking at the financial jargon on the documents he had made some pretty good investments.

The second paper looked to be an official looking letter from the SFPD, a little concerned she proceeded to read the letter and found it to be a request for Patrick to consult on a missing person's case that involved a 6 year old girl by the name Mandy Mayfield.

They tended to receive a lot of these over the years but usually they turned them down because of the low amount they offered as consultation fees as opposed to ten times the amount that the family themselves offered if it was a private deal.

Patrick proceeded to explain his plan he was not really giving up his career as a fake psychic but using it to start a more honest life. He was going to keep doing private readings for a few more years to get enough money to invest so that they didn't have to worry about money problems.

In the meanwhile he was going to start consulting on cases for the SFPD, help find missing people, put killers behind bars that sort of thing. He reassured Angela that he was going to do purely consulting role no fieldwork whatsoever, that there would be absolutely no danger involved.

He would continue being a psychic until his investments panned out and then he proceeded to promise on his daughter's life that he would completely give up his fake psychic life. Angela threw her arms around him in a tearful embrace and proceeded to show him how much she loved his decision to be a better man.

A few months of successfully consulting on five missing persons case, saving two little girls from child molesters and helping put three murderers behind bars and the Jane household never looked better Patrick had realised that he loved a good mystery more than fooling people for money and the satisfaction he got from closing a case eclipsed any appreciation he had for a good conn panning out.

Patrick was also happy about the fact that when in a few years when his daughter asked him what he did for a living he would not have to be ashamed to give her a straight answer.

Angela's only concern was that Patrick tended to get a little too confident in his ability to read people, it had already resulted in him getting punched in the nose twice, the last of which was landed by a fellow officer when Patrick revealed to the whole precinct that he was sleeping with his partners sixteen year old daughter.

Angela was afraid that one day his mouth was going to get him into big trouble, she had no way of knowing how right she actually was.

Patrick Jane would forever feel guilty for getting his wife and daughter killed. But he could not deny fates strange workings, even though he was a non-believer, that if they hadn't been killed by Red John he would never met the magnificent existence that was Agent Teresa Lisbon.

Teresa Lisbon who was at the crux of Patrick Jane's biggest guilt trip ever because in the past four something years that he has worked with her, she has not only become his best friend, confidant and saviour. Teresa Lisbon has also become the love of Patrick Jane's life.

But even though he feels guilty for betraying his wife he knows that Angela would want for him to move on. Even though he will not stop trying to find Red John, he had tried to do right by Angela but she was take from him, now he promised his late wife and child that he would do right by Teresa and become a man that Angela, Charlotte and Teresa would be proud to love.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Change in Jane**

Patrick Jane was dreaming again. His long time issues with insomnia had helped him to easily distinguish when he was actually dreaming as opposed to trying to fool his body into thinking that his mind actually shut down once in a while.

Only his Teresa knew the real reason why he took naps while his colleagues worked their asses off doing real police work. Contrary to popular belief he wasn't too lazy to do any police work. The first reason was that he just wasn't too good at the whole knocking on doors, asking questions stuff and the second reason was that unless he got tired he rarely ever slept on his couch.

His so called naps simply allowed his brain to stop concentrating on body movements and actually put his mind in turbo speed, not overdrive because everyone including Lisbon would agree that Jane's mind was always on overdrive.

When he had explained his thought process to Lisbon she had proceeded to spout her profilers training about how the brain has separate parts that control separate functions, that is that another part controls the body and another controls the thinking process.

He had loved the confident nod of her head at the end of the monologue thinking that she had got one over him, and he being the lovesick fool that he was allowed Lisbon her victory, for a while and then had proceeded to pop her bubble by pointing out that it didn't matter what part of his brain controls what, he had already bullied his brain into working at super speed when he was inactive.

She had proceeded to pout that ever so adorable pout of hers and stomp into her office ranting about all knowing consultants who defy basic human physiology. Jane had proceeded to store yet another one of their delightful banters into his memory palace as only one of the million reasons that he had fallen in love with Teresa Lisbon.

Their banters really seemed to now be the only time that he purposefully set out to make her mad at him because they both knew that she couldn't really stay mad at him and this way he could avoid her looking truly hurt by his actions which had happened on more than a few occasions in the first two years of their partnership.

He had known the first time he saw her walking towards him. Her short stature such a contrast to his Angela and yet she seemed to demand the same attention that Angela demanded when she had worked into a room.

Curiously for the first time after his wife's murder looking at Teresa Lisbon with a speculative gaze was not making him feel guilty but intrigued. The guilt had come afterwards when he had realized he had fallen in love again when he had sworn not to look at another woman in an intimate way ever again.

After a year of self-flagellation and unnecessary harshness towards Lisbon herself, she had looked so hurt at his cruelty that he had not even been able to stay in the same city. Her face had swam in front of his mind as he drove to Malibu and broke down crying in the bedroom that had been the scene of the best and the truly worst days of his life.

As Jane had gotten his breathing under control he had gotten up and walked down the stairs to his old office after his wife's death he had only gone to this room once to lock away the last words that she would ever write to him he never had the strength to read the letter that she had included in her will. He knew that her words would make too much sense and her obvious plea to move on would be too real as opposed to the speculation that everyone himself included had said in regards to her wishes.

He had the answer to his questions two feet in front of him. What would his wife say to him falling in love with another woman just three years after her death? No amount of guilt for their deaths had ever given him the incentive or the strength to open the safe again. But the constant pain that he caused Teresa for the past year, the look in her eyes as he said those harsh things about her refusing to leave his mind finally gave him the strength. He would never think of himself as worthy of Teresa's love but Teresa Lisbon didn't deserve the hate he had been dishing out to her. He owed it to Lisbon to sort himself out, he knew he would not abandon his hunt for Red John but while he did that he wanted to spend his time making Teresa Lisbon happy, he just needed to know that his wife would really want him to devote his life to another woman after her or not.

Jane took a deep calming breath and reached out to unlock the safe with trembling hands. The first thing there was a case which he knew contained his wife's wedding ring, it was a couples jewellery box so he knew it also had a slot for the ring currently on his finger. He rocked back and forth on his heels as he thought about what he should do, eventually he decided to take the box with him.

Underneath the box he found the envelope he was looking for it was a large brown packet with an official looking seal of his lawyer's office. Angela's will had been pretty straight forward just like his own had been they both had agreed that in the event that something happened to either of them all their belongings and money was to go to Charlotte. The money would go under a secure account in their daughter's name with the remaining parent named in charge until she came of age.

Jane's tears were now flowing freely as he opened the envelope to pull out the documents inside. The will was useless to him he had still been numb when his lawyer had showed up at his house with the papers to execute the will, but had heard every word. At the end of the reading Jane had told his lawyer to lock all the money in a savings account he would never touch the money that had been earned at the price of his family's death.

As Jane pulled out the documents a letter tucked in a small yellow envelope fell out and onto the floor, Jane quickly picked it up and spent about ten minutes staring at it. Just as he was reconsidering his decision Lisbon's hurt face came unbidden once again to the forefront of his mind.

Jane closed his eyes and said to himself _for Lisbon, _and he carefully peeled open the envelope to pull out his wife's last message to him.

_Paddy_

_If you're reading this then . . . oh for god's sake of course you know why you're reading this I don't have to explain this to you. Patrick I'm dead, it happens people die, hopefully I died after living a long and successful life with you by my side but let's be real here if you are reading this letter than chances are that I die pretty soon after writing this. If that is the case then I need you to do something for me Patrick, I need you to pull yourself together, there is a little girl near you, probably even in your arms now that needs her father because her mother is no longer there. Patrick I need you to take care of Charlotte for me please. I know you Patrick Jane I know I can count on you to not resent our daughter for my death. I am dead no amount of anger, regret, resentment or even revenge will bring me back. Patrick do you remember when we ran away do you remember what I asked you? I asked you to '_Take me away from here Paddy' _and you grabbed my hand and walked me straight out the front gates in front of the whole carnival. I need you to be that man again Patrick I need you to be our baby's savior just like you were mine. Patrick this is the part where my letter to you becomes so much harder to write. Patrick if for some reason both Charlotte and I have been taken away from you, god I hope that is not the case, I know you Paddy you will kill yourself. Patrick I want you to try and move on. I know after losing the both of us you would not even want to try but for your own sake I hope you don't give up on life. However if my poor, innocent, sweet baby Charlotte has been the victim of some sick man's perversion, then I'm afraid I must put a huge burden on your shoulders, find a woman Patrick make her feel like the luckiest women in the world just like you made me feel, but avenge my baby for me. Hunt down the man who dared to lay a hand on my Charlotte and you make him suffer Patrick. Don't kill him I know you're more than capable but death is too easy an escape for someone like him. I want you to make him rue the day that he heard of the Jane's. If this is what has happened than I know you will disappoint me my love._

_Always remember_

_You are safe You are loved You are wise_

_Yours always,_

_Angela_

Patrick was completely and utterly lost in the desolation that was left in the wake of his wife's letter. It was like Angela had been standing there telling him off the same way she had always done when she had been alive.

Nothing absolutely nothing could have prepared him for the sheer shock at seeing the words that he had whispered to both Angela and Charlotte in times of need. When Angela had been afraid of being a bad mother, when Charlotte had been unable to sleep because of colic, when Angela had been distraught because her mother had died, when Charlotte was scared of the monster under the bed, when Angela had been afraid of Charlotte's first day at preschool, when Charlotte had been afraid of her first day at preschool. _'You are safe, you are loved, and you are wise'_

Those few words stared back at him and told him something amazing. He was an idiot. Here he was agonizing over things that didn't matter. His wife, his ever loving, ever enduring Angela had laid it all out plain and simple something that he hadn't had enough sense to think about. Even from beyond the grave she was still capable of kicking his ass into gear.

Patrick stood up from where he had fallen to his knees as the weight of emotions had hit him from the letter. He stood up straight and tucked Angela's letter into

his front breast pocket. Patrick Jane walked out of his house in Malibu his over active mind already making plans. He had to contact a real estate agent it was time to let this place go. But first he had some grovelling to do in front of his best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pilot Part 1**

Jane's dreams usually varied from being complete nightmares about his family or about Teresa which usually culminated in him needing a very cold shower. This one was weird it had started as a Lisbon dream and then had gone to a time in which he had pretended to be cold and indifferent towards her and going and breaking down in his house, coming to certain conclusions, figuring out his wife's wishes and then coming back to the CBI to grovel and beg to Lisbon who of course in her saintly way had forgiven him almost immediately.

He had never again had the strength to push Lisbon away again, she had now become his centre and he was trying as hard as he could to change for her, of course he still caused some trouble on cases but the lawsuits were down to a minimum and he never left Lisbon out of any of his schemes even when it involved Red John.

His dream was going into unfamiliar territory he definitely did not remember kissing Lisbon after grovelling for half an hour. Jane could actually believe this was real, could even smell her unique fragrance of cinnamon and something that was just Lisbon. Jane let out an involuntary moan of pleasure at this pleasant turn of events.

Agent Teresa Lisbon was not for the first time saddened at the unfortunate turn of events that she had just been notified of by Minnelli. She had just last night received a request from Sac PD to help on a missing person's case involving the Tolliver's a very influential and wealthy family.

She had agreed to bring her team in on the case the next morning and then had promptly gone back to sleep. Now she's barely been in her office two minutes and Minnelli is calling to say that they found Mercy Tolliver's body. Even though they think the caught the killer Minnelli wanted her to take her team and help them out because they did request CBI help.

Lisbon sighed she hated visiting grieving families; to her the only bright light in this impending cloud of doom was her consultant Patrick Jane. She looked through her blinds at the man in question, just glancing at his peaceful demeanour as he slept was enough to brighten her mood. Yes she was a love sick fool no she wasn't going to admit it to him yet. But Lisbon knew that that conversation was going to happen sometime soon.

She wasn't stupid, she might be a career driven woman but she recognized an interested man when she saw one and the four years that she had known Patrick had taught her a lot of his tells. Just like she could easily tell when he was feigning sleep or when, like now, he was asleep for real. When feigning he would stay still, he would shift positions occasionally but remain completely still afterwards. On the other hand when really asleep if someone were to study his face they would find that his nose twitched and he had the tendency to murmur under his breath if he was having a particularly pleasant dream.

Teresa had to admit that she did find both traits extremely adorable and had to resist the urge to wake him up with a kiss every time he did those things in her presence. Speaking of waking him up she needed to do that so that they could report to the crime scene. If she ever stopped and thought about it she knows that she could always very easily order one of her boys to wake him up, but for some reason she always reserved that task for herself. Even the times when he used to be an asshole to her, she still was the one who woke him from his naps. Although admittedly she used to kick his precious couch to get him to wake up. She never understood why but now she doesn't want anyone else to ever be the one to wake him up.

Teresa approached Jane's couch and couched down to his level. Taking his hand in hers she is about to say his name but is interrupted by a moan, Lisbon stops short looking down at Jane's handsome face incredulously, Is Jane having an erotic dream, just as this thought crosses her mind he moans out her name and she jumps, about me? A slow smile spread across her face. They were definitely having some one on one time after this case. The mere thought warmed Teresa's heart, but she knew she had to get her consultant up before he embarrassed himself.

Squeezing Jane's hand Lisbon tried to coax him awake. "Jane", she whispered. Jane just let out another moan, Teresa couldn't help but wonder what kind of naughty dreams her consultant had about her. Did they involve her office maybe the couch he was sleeping on. That thought sent such an intense shot of warmth through her body that she had to bite her lip to keep from releasing her own moan. Shaking herself out of her Jane induced stupor she put a firm hand on his shoulder and shook him awake.

Jane was just getting ready to kiss his Teresa again when she started calling his name he looked the half-naked Lisbon on his couch and realized that he lips were not even moving, in fact she was actually fading or was she becoming more solid and crouching in front of him a knowing, indulgent smirk on her face as she tried to shake him awake. Sitting up he realized that he was having a naughty dream about Lisbon while she was trying to wake him up for god knows how long. Jane was uncomfortably aware of the fact that the evidence of his erotic dream was painfully obvious and Lisbon would be hard pressed not to notice it, the thought immediately caused his cheeks to heat up. What the hell? Patrick Jane does not blush he scolded himself as he tried to unsuccessfully readjust his pants.

Thankfully Teresa Lisbon was not one to be disgusted by a natural human reaction, while the site of a blushing Patrick Jane was a rarity she didn't want him to feel as if he did something wrong.

Keeping eye contact with him she tried to convey as much as she could that she didn't mind his reaction. Lisbon reached up and grabbed the woolen throw on the back of his couch and gently laid it on his lap. Looking up at him she said, "It happens Jane don't worry about it." The smile that lit up his face took her breath away.  
Jane was yet again amazed at this woman. Her compassionate nature knew no bounds. He knew if the roles were reversed he would not have been able to resist teasing her, he was immensely grateful.

After a few seconds of silence Lisbon decided to get right down to business. "Jane we have case." She got up off the floor and sat beside him on the couch.

"Oh," said Jane intrigued. Clearly this case had had an effect on Lisbon otherwise she would have been all up in arms ordering the team to get to the crime scene instead if sitting here on the couch with him.

Jane put a gentle hand on Lisbon's arm. "What's wrong Teresa?"

Lisbon sighed. "I just got the call last night about the missing Tolliver girl you know?" Jane nodded. His heart broke for her as he saw Lisbon's eyes tear up." Minnelli just called to tell me that they had found her body." Jane knew that Lisbon would not let those tears fall she only showed that much vulnerability when they were completely alone. Her voice was steady as she continued. "I had told the Sac PD captain that I would bring my team over in the morning." Lisbon turned helpless eyes on to Jane. "I just can't help but think..."  
Lisbon had trailed of in her explanation but Jane didn't need her to go on, she felt guilty for leaving the case off until the morning. Lisbon thought that if they had started searching immediately the might have been able to save her, his sweet kind Saint Teresa. He shook his head at her heart. It seemed she could surprise him at every turn and yet he would never expect anything different form her.

Jane turned sideways on the couch and grabbed one of her hands in both of his. She looked up into his eyes begging him silently to make her feel better. Her eyes held such power over him that he couldn't deny her even if he wanted to. 'For you Teresa? Anything.'

Jane knew from personal experience that being told that something wasn't your fault never really eased any of the guilt he had always felt, and since Teresa was sometimes as much of glutton for punishment as he was he knew that telling her that it wasn't her fault wouldn't work on her so he went for something he knew she appreciated - logic and facts.

"Teresa," Jane began. "Did Minnelli tell you when they found the body?"  
Lisbon nodded. "Yeah, around 1:30am?"  
Jane bobbed his in confirmation. "Now do you really think that the second you got the call, you had alerted the team and gotten down there to work the case you really would have found anything different than what Sac PD found today?" Jane tried to appeal to Lisbon's logical side.

His ploy worked and Teresa shook her head. "No, wishful thinking I guess," she replied shrugging.

Jane squeezed her hand. "Teresa you just closed a three day long case yesterday, you've been working with one man short for almost three months now and top of all that you've got me annoying you every five minutes." A small smile pulled at Teresa's lips revealing that one dimple that she had. "You've got enough on your plate without taking the blame for a murder that you just found out about 20 minutes ago." Jane crouched in front of her putting both hands on her shoulders. "The best thing you can do for Mercy is to find the man that killed her. Okay?"

Jane could almost see the weight lift off of her shoulders. Lisbon looked at Jane and nodded. "Okay," she said smiling at her consultant. As she got up to go do as Jane told her to do, his hands slid down her shoulders and he took her hands in his again holding her in place with his piercing blue eyes.

"Jane?" Lisbon asked.

Jane looked into her eyes once more and then said, "After this case is done we have to talk," he hesitated. "There are something's I need to say." He watched as Lisbon's gaze became concerned and fearful. Jane quickly moved to reassure her. "It's nothing bad I promise you. At least it's not bad for me I hope you won't find the idea too repulsive and no I am not leaving I promise you that."

Lisbon released the breath she had been holding back. If there was something that Lisbon was sure Jane would uphold it was his promises to her, he had yet to prove her wrong. Lisbon nodded at Jane and then called out to the team to get ready and that she would fill them in on the way to the crime scene.

Jane and Lisbon arrive at the crime scene before Cho and Rigsby. Lisbon immediately walks over to the Captain. He waves her off telling her they won't need her anymore. Jane knows how much Lisbon hates it when the local police don't seem to realise that when the Serious Crimes Unit accepts a case they take over and she becomes the one who gets to decide who will be needed or not.

Jane also knows that unless the Captain really steps on her toes she will not let her superiority show so while Lisbon is busy with the Captain, Jane decides to help her out by solving the case for her so that she can shut up the local police who will want to start a pissing contest with the CBI.

One glance at the boy the cops have as their number one suspect is enough for Jane to know that he's not the killer, high probably judging by the vacant look, squinting and the complete lack of any declarations of defence. He probably woke up near the body and isn't even sure if he really didn't kill Mercy. He was the perfect fall guy.

Jane looks around to see the body of the girl being loaded into the coroners van taking note of the Grimm Reaper tat on the forearm of the coroners assistant and realizes that not many people hire ex-cons at coroner's office seemed to be one of the few places that do.

Jane looked around at the crowd once more, he had already checked out the most obvious choice, the people handling the body didn't seem to be suspicious and no one in the crowd stood out. This left only one other possibility; her family. Thankfully they were right in front of him giving a public statement. It was interesting to see that the father was already protecting his image in the media and doing damage control instead of mourning his daughter's death. Unfortunately the reality of it was that he had seen this behaviour in wealthy and important men before. Morgan Tolliver had stopped being a father to Mercy a while ago because he was too busy making money and while this showed arrogance and selfish ness, it in no way indicated that Morgan was the killer.

What Juniper indicated, on the other hand, was something else. Mrs Tolliver showed all obvious signs that she had just lost her daughter and then some. Jane watched as Juniper pulled her hand out of Morgan's grip almost in disgust. It was all Jane needed to see in order to find the killer.

Jane walked back to Lisbon to see her getting into her stride explaining to the Captain what it meant for him to ask for the CBI's help. He put a hand on Lisbon's elbow causing her to stop in her tirade and look at him.

"Jane?" She asked.

Jane leaned in to whisper in her ear causing her to shiver involuntarily. "Lisbon, I need a word please."

Lisbon looked back at the Captain. "Would you excuse us for a moment please?" At the Captain's distracted nod they moved away out of ear shot.

"What's going on Jane?"

"The boy they arrested? He's not our killer." Jane said.

"Yeah, I thought it was a bit too convenient." Jane nodded at her reply, it was rare if they ever got an open and shut case like the one Sac PD was suggesting this was. "So if Mcklusky didn't do it than whom? I'm guessing you already know huh?" She grinned at Jane it was obvious he was bursting at the seams to do his big reveal.

Jane nodded energetically. "Morgan Tolliver." He said and waited for her reaction.

"The Dad?" She gasped appropriately in response to Jane's theatrics.

"Hmhm," he hummed in agreement. "And not only that I bet that I could find you the proof I need in their house. Oh and I'll also need to talk to the wife."

"Juniper? Why you think she might be in on it?"

"No actually I think she suspects him but doesn't want to believe it."

Lisbon bit her lip adorably in concentration. "Hmm, well i don't know how I'm going to bring them in for questioning without any evidence-"

"You leave all that up to me," Jane interrupted. "Just be ready to make an arrest."

Lisbon's eyes widened at Jane's words and she went to protest but Jane stopped her by putting a finger on her lips, she immediately turned red at the contact. Jane leaned close and whispered, "trust me; I won't get you into any trouble I promise." When he said it like that Lisbon found it impossible to deny him anything.

Jane saw her give in and removed his hand. Giving her a charming smile he turned around and quickly walked up to the backdoor of the Tolliver house leaving Lisbon shaking her head after him.

Twenty five minutes after Jane had entered the house Lisbon was getting worried, she had seen Juniper enter the house ten minutes after Jane and knew that Jane would have easily gotten her talking but what really worried her was that five minutes ago Morgan had also entered the house. Knowing Jane's tendency to accuse first and deal with the consequences later, Lisbon was contemplating breaking down the door. Just then she heard two gun shots from inside the house. Instantly on high alert Lisbon and the captain kicked down the front door and rushed into the kitchen all the while she kept praying to not let it be Jane that she would find on the floor, Lisbon would not be able to handle that.

Her prayers were answered when instead of him lying on the floor bleeding Jane was standing in the middle of the kitchen with his hands up while Morgan Tolliver lay dead near the doorway. Mrs Tolliver obviously the shooter seemed to have dropped the gun and was walking out to the backyard seemingly in shock.

Lisbon could only sputter. "Jane! What the hell?"

Jane made a placating gesture. "It's not as bad as it looks."

Lisbon saw Juniper out in the yard and turned to the captain. "Could you stop her please?"

He just pointed at Jane. "What is he doing here?"

"We'll talk about that later, that woman just shot and killed a man don't you think you should be taking her into custody."

The cop had the grace to look chastened. "Yes ma'am," he said and hurried off after Juniper.

Lisbon approached Jane, he had lowered his hands and was looking at the body. "Patrick," she said tentatively, Jane seemed a little off. "You okay?"

Jane seemed to shake himself out of his stupor. "What? Oh I'm fine Teresa. It's just that I didn't want him to die. He deserved to suffer a lot more before his death for what he did."

Lisbon cast a contemplating look at him. "What exactly did he do?"

Jane walked out of the kitchen and into the living room and stood in front of the dresser Lisbon following close behind. As he stared at the pictures of Mercy and Morgan he spoke. "He did the worst thing imaginable that a father can do to a daughter." He turned his soulful eyes on her and the pain in his eyes shook her to the core. His daughter was one of the few things that Lisbon had never been brave enough to discuss but looking at him at this moment she knew exactly what he was thinking. The pictures told a deceiving story. How could someone nurture their child so lovingly and then turn around destroy her life in order to satisfy his own perversion.

"He molested her from a young age and when she grew smarter and said no he killed her."

The silence left in the wake of Jane's words was broken eventually by the Captain.

"Alright could anyone explain to me what happened here?"

Patrick piped up. "Well I am fairly good at reading people and when we arrived I saw instantly that you had the wrong guy. I eventually realized that the man you were looking for was the girl's father, his wife looked to me like she suspected him as well so I thought that I would question her and see if she would confirm my analysis. Well Juniper admitted that she did suspect something, I asked her if she had asked her husband if she had killed his daughter, she asked me what would he say I told her most wives can tell when their husbands are lying. At that moment Morgan came in and I confronted him asked him if he had killed his daughter he said no his wife recognized it as a lie. Juniper went out of the kitchen came back in with a gun and shot her husband two times in the chest."

The captain was staring at Jane in awe and I was amused myself because I already knew I was in trouble. Being in trouble because of Jane had become a rarity and I had forgotten how entirely fun and at the same time completely exasperating an experience it could be. I was actually pretty entertained until the cop turned his eyes on me.

"Did you know about Mr Jane's intentions to talk to Mrs Tolliver?"

As I fumbled for an answer Jane jumped in. "No," he said. "Lisbon had absolutely no idea what I was up to." Lisbon was left mouthing silently as Jane did this.

The Captain nodded and rose up from his seat at the counter. "Well then I'll have to call your boss for this."

Lisbon's amusement immediately vanished. This man's words sounded like a threat against Jane, and any law enforcement officer they have worked with in the past two years knows that you do not threaten Jane within ear shot of Lisbon. Lisbon put on a fake smile and addressed the older man. "Why would you wanna do that?"

The captain looked at her surprised. "Seriously? The guy is completely out of control, he questioned someone who had absolutely no connection to her murder and enticed her into murdering her own husband which is the obvious reason, he is the reason we have another dead body on our hands."

Lisbon was livid she felt Jane put a hand on the small of her back telling her silently to let it go. She ignored him and spoke to the captain. "So what do you suggest he should have done hmm? Let you convict an innocent man while Morgan here goes free probably killing his wife too whenever she gained the courage to actually confront him."

"Oh come on you don't seriously think he found the killer just by looking at his face, do you? What do you expect me to believe that he's some sort of psychic?"

"There's no such thing as psychics captain, but if proof is what you are looking for then here you go," Jane said crouching down to pull something out of Morgan Tolliver's pocket.

"What is that a book?"

"Actually it's a diary, more specifically Mercy's diary; even more specifically this is the diary that will prove my observations and actions to be correct."

The captain released a sigh. "Even so there is no going around the fact that you Mr Jane enticed a woman into killing her husband based on mere hypothesis. What if you were wrong in your observations?" He questioned. Lisbon could almost predict his next jab at Jane but was powerless to stop him. "You would have allowed a woman to be responsible for the death of her husband, do you have any idea what that is like.

Lisbon barely managed to contain herself from punching the lights out of the idiot and turned to look at Jane almost afraid of his reaction. Amazingly be was still smiling but it had turned cold. As Jane took a deep breath Lisbon knew what was coming and she felt no desire to protect the ignorant fool of a cop from her consultant's wrath. Jane's words had a power of its own and he could deliver such blows just by talking that physical violence could never achieve.

"Well seeing as something I said on television caused a serial killer to murder my wife and daughter than yes I do know how it feels and I was absolutely certain that Morgan was our killer otherwise I would not have risked Juniper going through what I go through every day."

Jane turned his tortured gaze onto Lisbon. "Lisbon? I'll meet you by the car." And not waiting for a response he walked out of the house sporting a sombre face.

Lisbon was left grinning after him grateful that her back was turned to the idiot cop. Jane had really been milking it for all he was worth, of course everything he said was true but Lisbon knew from personal experience that Jane never displayed that much emotion to strangers unless he was up to something. Nevertheless even if Jane wasn't pissed at the captain she sure as hell was, no matter what complaints he had to give she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"Captain? Do you know why we were recommended to you by the DA? It's because we have the highest closure rate of any team in the CBI. "Lisbon pointed at the empty doorway where Jane had disappeared. "That man is a major reason why that is. So let me make one thing clear the next time you need the CBI's help, and you will, don't bother calling us." Lisbon turned around without waiting for a response and followed Jane out the door.

Two weeks later Lisbon put down the phone after receiving a call from Palm Spring PD, they had just caught a case. The fact that it was in Palm Springs wasn't the reason for her apprehension but it was the fact that the man that they had been chasing down for four years now had committed yet another murder.

The mental impact that the team suffered through on every Red John case was usually doubled by the fact that Jane normally went out on a completely different tangent wherever Red John was concerned. Lisbon couldn't help but think back to how they had parted ways two weeks ago.

The Tolliver case was finished but the paperwork on the case was still waiting for her when they got back. Plus they still had to process Juniper Tolliver for second degree murder and with that came the fact that she had to be the one to explain to Minnelli what had happened in the house while Jane looked on.

Lisbon had put her hand in her jacket pockets so that neither of the men saw that she was still shaking a little bit over the fact that she had thought that Jane might be dead. Now that the adrenaline had dropped the effect of her scare was very noticeable.

As it turned out Captain Hill, as was his name according to Minnelli, had actually come through and hadn't told on Jane, but Minnelli wasn't stupid. With a murder suspect dead and Jane at the scene of the crime it wasn't difficult to put two and two together. What he wanted was to know whose fault it actually was.

Lisbon was fully prepared to take the heat for Jane seeing as his intentions were completely innocent, but Jane wasn't going to have it. He had promised her that he would not get her in trouble and he was going to keep his word. Jane admitted to talking to Juniper on a hunch and then confronting Morgan without backup, he also admitted that his actions may have indirectly led to Juniper killing Morgan but he honestly admitted that he didn't foresee her actually gunning him down.

Minnelli after listening to his story had no choice but to give him three weeks of suspension although he chose to word it as mandatory leave. After making Jane leave Minnelli asked for a debrief, Lisbon rushed through it as best as she could anxious to catch up with Jane before he decided to leave. Minnelli finally let her go a full fifteen minutes after Jane and she couldn't help but rush down to the bullpen. She let out a disappointed sigh as she saw his couch empty and pulled out her cell phone to give him a call when she heard his voice.

"Looking for me my dear?" Jane asked from the doorway to her office. She whipped around to look at him the relief on her face wiping of any look of jest on Jane's face and he immediately became concerned. "Teresa? What's wrong?"

Lisbon pushed past him into her office and sat on the couch with her elbows on her knees her fingers on her temple, her hair fell in front of her face hiding her from Jane's view as Lisbon tried to contain the irrational tears that were threatening to break free.

Jane realised that Lisbon would not want anyone to see her like this so he shut the door and closed all the blinds and the cautiously perched himself beside her on the couch. "Teresa." He tried tentatively.

Lisbon hated the fact that his voice had so much power over her that his whisper of her name made her instantly look up. She had successfully held her tears back but couldn't stop her voice from cracking as she replied to his unasked question.

"I had thought it would be you." Was all she said as she looked down and clenched her hands in her lap. And that was all Jane needed to hear to know what she meant. When she heard the gunshots she had thought that she would find him lying dead on the kitchen floor and that thought had shook her. She had been holding on on pure adrenaline but now that she was winding down her emotions were getting the better of her.

Jane gently reached out and brushed her hair back from her face causing her to look at him. He reached down and took both of her hands in his and looked into her green eyes which were partially darkened by her fear and spoke in a calm comforting voice.

"Teresa I want to look into my eyes and I want you do something okay?" She nodded and he continued "I need you to trust me when I tell you that I am okay. I know your mind is telling you this but your heart is still in panic and I need you to calm it down. Remember the Lisbon that I know doesn't let her emotions get the better of her, she is without a doubt the strongest person that I know and she wouldn't let a little thing like fear get in her way right."

And even though Lisbon was nodding her head the tears she had been holding back slowly started to fall down her cheeks. Jane pulled on her hands and gathered her in a hug resting her ear against his chest, the beating of his heart reassuring her. As she tried to bury herself in his embrace.

Jane whispered sweet nothings in her ear as they both realised that something had shifted. The events of this day had shocked them into confronting something that they had both been scared to acknowledge to each other. As the tremors in her body subsided she pulled back a little to look at Jane and she peered intently in his eyes for a moment. A minute later she put her head back on his chest and tightened her arms around his waist.

"We just crossed a line didn't we?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes we did." Jane confirmed. "Do you regret it?"

Lisbon was expecting this question and didn't hesitate. "No and I don't think you do either."

"Well you would be right about that my dear. Are you sure you're okay now."

"Hmhm" she replied contently and actually snuggled into him. She just wanted to got to sleep in his arms after this exhausting day. They had admitted things to each other they could deal with work, his suspension and the paperwork tomorrow, but Jane seemed to have other ideas.

Jane took a deep breath. It was obvious that he and Teresa were on the same page in regards to their feelings for each other; they were just a little hesitant to say it. Jane however felt that they had beat around the bush long enough.

"Teresa, I know the direction in which our relationship is going might scare you and you might be questioning your feelings-"

Lisbon stopped him there. "I'm not questioning my feelings." It was easier talking about this with him when she was not looking into his eyes. "I've had more than a year to get used to the fact that while you might annoy me to hell and back, are still completely devoted to Angela and you go crazy where Red John cases are concerned for some unexplainable reason I still love you." Her declaration was as much a shock to her as it was to him but he could tell that Lisbon was being sincere.

Jane never would have guessed that Lisbon would be the first one to say it. He had thought he would have to drag it out of her; it was another reason that he loved her, she was a mystery to him unpredictable and he wanted to spend the rest of his life solving the mystery that is Teresa Lisbon.

"Lisbon while I might still wear my wedding ring it's no longer is a symbol to my devotion to my wife; it is to remind me of what I lost and of what I have to do to bring her justice. Angela and Charlotte are dead I can't bring them back and while I won't stop hunting Red John I can try and move on from their deaths, it's what they would want.

The truth is that I really tried not to fall in love with you, remember those times two years ago when I would be so hurtful towards you. I was trying to make you distance yourself from me but instead every time my words would hurt you it would make me feel like the biggest ass out there. I went to my Malibu house and tried to figure out what to do.

I felt so guilty for falling in love again, I was sure that Angela would hate me. I had been feeling like I was cheating on her with you. But I hated seeing the look on your face every time I was intentionally cruel towards you; it gave me the courage to finally read the letter that my wife had left in her will."

Lisbon tried to sit up at this, to hear Jane say that he loved her too was amazing all her anxiety seemed to disappear with that statement, but now he was reasoning and talking about to times that she would sooner forget rather than drudge back up again and talking about what his wife had said in her will to him. He might not believe in god and afterlife but she shuddered to think of what Angela Jane would say to her if she found out that Jane had shared such a personal thing with her. As she went to protest he shushed her, holding her to him more securely.

"Don't worry about offending her Teresa. Even if she could hear us I don't think she would mind, you're the best thing that has happened to me since I found out I was a father and if Angela is actually listening I think she would agree. Lisbon blushed at such high praise from Jane and buried her face in his shirt. Patrick just chuckled causing delicious vibrations to shoot up her body.

"Anyway," Jane continued. "Her letter simply stated that I should mourn her and then move on with my life because I had a five year old to think about."

Lisbon pulled back with gasp to see Jane looking at her with a sad smile on his face. "Oh Jane.". She just didn't know what else to say to him. She had never even thought that any letter from Angela to Jane would tell him to take care of Charlotte.

She had gotten so used to thinking of Jane in the context of Patrick Jane who had had his wife and daughter killed by serial killer that she had naïvely thought that somehow Angela would know in her letter that her daughter would also be killed. It must have been heart-breaking for Jane to read his dead wife's letter telling him to take care of his daughter who had died with her.

Jane just pulled her close again and continued it seemed that her presence was giving him strength so she didn't resist.

"So you can imagine what I was going through reading this letter. She told me to let someone love me again like she did but then..."

He had stopped. After about a minute of silence she looked up at him to see him gazing into space. "Patrick?" She asked trying the name on for size for the first time, it felt oddly intimate and it served to bring him out of his stupor.

"Yes, my dear?" He said absently.

"What did Anjela say?" She asked softly.

"Well, we never talked about this but when I joined the CBI I was going to hunt down Red John and when I found him I wasn't going to arrest him I was going to cut his heart open and watch him bleed to death.

Lisbon was chilled to the bone at the coldness in Jane's voice as he spoke. She once again tried to pull away and this time he let her, Jane looked at her intently waiting for her reaction. She felt as if she was being tested in some way and she had to really think about whether she even wanted to pass or not after his little speech about wanting to murder Red John. She actually had no trouble imagining the Jane she had met for the first time wanting to avenge his family by killing Red John, hell she wasn't even sure what she would do if she had to go through what he did.

But she also liked to think that she and her team had actually influenced Jane enough to change his views, which os why she thought he was speaking in past tense, besides death was to quick a punishment for someone like Red John. She knew that California state law would give him the death penalty anyway but she wished to see him suffer for every smiley face that he had ever drawn.

Jane watched the emotions rage through her eyes and hoped that she picked up on the way he had phrased his statement.

"You said you 'were' going to do that, what changed?" Lisbon asked apprehensive as to what he would respond with. She watched as his face broke into the smile that never failed to make her weak in the knees, thank god she was sitting down. She felt as if she had passed and his reaction told her that he actually had changed his views in regards to what he would do when they finally caught Red John.

"Anjela's letter," Jane said. Lisbon's eyebrows shot up in surprise, she had thought that all his wife had written in her letter was for him to take care of their little girl. Jane didn't pay any mind to her surprise and continued. "Wrote that if she and Charlotte were somehow killed that I should not kill their murderer." He took a deep shuddering breath at the memories of the letter he had read two years ago in his study, but Lisbon was confused she was not a mother but she knew if she ever had a child and she thought someone had murdered her child she would want revenge and she would personally make that person suffer for laying a hand on her child's head, maybe that's what Anjela meant about not killing Red John.

Jane was still speaking, "She said that such a man didn't deserve a quick painful death, she wanted me to make Red John rue the day he ever heard of the Jane's. So yes Teresa, My views have changed and I intend to honour my dead wife's last request and I hope to have you by my side as I don't want to exclude you from any of my plans."

Lisbon was relieved that he was not going to constantly contemplate murder, she didn't need the stress that those thoughts would bring, but it still begged the question; " What exactly do you intend to do when you say that you want to make him suffer?" She asked voicing her thoughts.

Jane smiled at her. "Don't worry Lisbon I'm not going to torture him, as much fun as that would be I know from for a fact that physical pain does not intimidate Red John in fact I know that if I managed to tie him up and sear his back with a red hot poker, as much satisfaction as that would give me, he would probably laugh in my face and tell me to do it again."

"So no red hot pokers then what, how are you gonna make him suffer."

"Physical pain is too trivial and fleeting my dear. If one has master the ability to full control their minds they can easily tune out the pain. I can do it and so can Red John, the only reason I choose not to do it is because it's just too easy to lose myself in the numbness and I become cold and unfeeling. I think that Red John has already reached this stage. So my plan of attack is completely psychological."

Lisbon snapped her gaze back to his eyes, she had been watching his hands which were resting on the back of the couch his fingers were playing with her hair twirling and curling around her dark tresses it was oddly hypnotic, but she looked at him now scrutinizing him. "Mind games, you want to play mind games with Red John? Are you insane?"

"Well my psyche evaluation tells me that I'm a clinical psychopath so maybe I am?" He shrugged.

Lisbon couldn't help but smile a little at that. "Oh shut up." she swatted her hand across his chest lightly to chastise him but she never got her hand back. Jane had grabbed it and pulled her lightly back into his embrace giving her time to resist but she had no reason to and together they both ended up lying on the couch Jane lying on his back and Lisbon laying on top of him her head tucked under his chin.

Lisbon continued where she had left off. "Seriously though I know you faked through that evaluation just so they would give you that label, clinical psychopath my ass."

"Ah yes but if you think about it my plan makes perfect sense. What makes him do something spontaneous, he didn't plan my families murder, he just reacted, blows to his ego especially publicly makes him upset. He believes he has an image to maintain probably because he has to look good in front of his followers.

Now I'm not saying we get on the horn and start dissing him to the public, it would be a very simple way to get us all killed but no, it would be better if we work more subtly in the meanwhile I suggest we show him that he can beat me down but he cannot hold me down. What would you say if we didn't try to hide our relationship from everybody?"

It was comforting to think that he already considered them in a relationship, most women would find it presumptuous for him to assume but out of all the things she knew about Patrick Jane and what he was capable of, him being presumptuous was the least of her problems. Besides he wasn't completely off base, yet she couldn't resist teasing him about it hoping for once to catch him unawares.

"What relationship did I miss you asking me out part? Besides we haven't even kissed yet." She quipped her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Jane as usual took it all in stride and grinned back at her. "Well that can be easily remedied." He looked down at her lovingly and asked. "My dear Teresa when I get back from my mandatory leave would you do me the honour of joining me for a dinner for two at a restaurant of my choosing?"

He was looking at her so earnestly that there was honestly only one thing she could say. "Yes I would love to join you for dinner but only if the restaurant is not too over the top."

"Then if I recall there was one more point in your argument, something I have wanted to try for a long time."

Jane put his hands on her waist and leaned his head down and brought his lips down to meet hers, the electricity was instantaneous. The sexual tension that had been accumulating over the years had finally reached a crescendo and it seemed as if all their inhibitions were thrown out the window as they both lost themselves in the kiss. Lisbon parted her lips slightly in invitation and Jane slipped his tongue into her mouth.

As their tongues made contact Lisbon let out a moan that resonated deep inside him the warmth that shot through his body released a primitive side of him that wanted to claim this woman in his arms in every way possible and wanted to be claimed by her in every way. Both their hands were wandering and just as her hands stared to unbutton the vest of his three piece suit there was a knock on her door.

The both froze as the sound brought them back to their senses Jane's lips were on Lisbon's collar bone as the interruption came and he buried his face under her neck and sighed loudly in disappointment.

Lisbon grinned and kissed the top of his head ruffling his wavy locks and whispering, "Later." Her promise was unexpected as he had thought that he had been too forward with her and that she would reprimand him for it.

While he was relieved that she wasn't angry he did feel like they were going a like little bit too fast and even though he loved the idea of being with her, he wanted their first time to be slower and more controlled. He was painfully aware of the fact that he had been celibate for the better part of four and he knew that if they had continued uninterrupted the party would have been over before it even started.

Lisbon had straightened up and was calling for whoever it was to enter.

Jane groaned as Cho walked in with a file in his hand. Of all the people to see them like this Cho was probably only one who would need no queues to deduce what had been happening between his boss and their consultant. Jane knew that Cho would remain professional about it and not question it but both the boys were protective in regards to their boss and he knew that he would be receiving a not so subtle threat in the context of his intentions towards Lisbon. It's what he liked most about Cho, he didn't say a lot but when it needed to be said he didn't beat around the bush.

It played out almost as Jane had thought it would Cho walked in telling Lisbon that Juniper Tolliver had been processed and was in holding. He stopped short in his brisk prose as he took in the sight of his bosses shirt un-tucked, Jane's top vest button open and both their hair mussed and lips swollen. Jane saw the slightest change in his expression as he took in the obvious tells the were exhibiting in their elation and then the mask of professionalism slipped back in place. The only difference was that Lisbon noticed the slip too; he must be having a positive effect on her if she could recognize Cho's tells.

"Cho?" She looked him dead in the eye conveying silently that this was what she wanted.

Cho looked at her for half a second and then replied, "Yes, boss."

Lisbon nodded. "Good now you have the Tolliver case there?"

Cho nodded.

"Leave it on my desk and you can all leave, oh and if we get a case don't call Jane because he is on suspension for three weeks."

"Okay Boss." Cho replied and left.

"Lisbon its mandatory leave how many times-"

Jane was cut short as Lisbon pulled him by the lapels of his shirt and fused her mouth with his again. She was not usually this forward but after their first kiss she could not get enough. Jane was immediately responding to her advances pressing her into the couch and ravishing her sweet mouth with her tongue until he realised that he was getting uncomfortable again.

It was only because of his profound mental prowess that he was able to extract himself from Lisbon's grasp as always he was surprised by the strength the seemingly diminutive woman possessed. As he pulled back Lisbon let out a moan of disapproval that instantly made him want to say screw all propriety and please the woman he loved but with all the will power he possessed he pulled away completely and quickly got up from the couch.

As Lisbon sat up in confusion at his actions he knelt down on the rug beside her legs and took her hands in his looking beseechingly at her.

"Teresa, if you ask me to continue making love to you I will do it, I have no more strength to refrain but..." Jane trailed off looking down at their joined hand, unsure of how to phrase this without hurting her feelings. But as usual his love knew what he needed without him needing to voice it.

She removed one hand from his grasp and he felt it cup his cheek, Jane looked up into her eyes to see the lust recede to make way for understanding as she spoke. "You're not ready." It wasn't a question. "Oh Patrick I'm so sorry for pushin-" Jane didn't allow her to complete her sentence as he put his finger on her lips.

He hated the fact that in fear of him hurting her he had made her feel guilty about something that wasn't in her control at all.

"Stop," he said removing his finger. "Don't feel bad for my weakness Teresa. Please believe me if I had it in me I would take you to bed right now, but as romantic as it would be you don't deserve to have me love you in any way other than completely and as it is right now not only would I not last five minutes but I still have some things to take care of. I need to let my past family go peacefully

Lisbon put her hand into Jane's and pulled him up to sit beside her. "We were going a bit fast weren't we?"

Jane shook his head at her. "No, we were doing fine. I think four years as partners has managed to break all our walls. I believe I know you better than anybody else out there right? And you know me just as well, we care about each other and I think we both know the effect we have on each other. Since we started a relationship it only seems logical that we make love, we trust each other with our bodies so no I don't think we were going too fast. It's only because of my weakness that-"

This time Lisbon interrupted him. "I don't think you're weak Patrick. I hate what happened to your family, what that monster did. If I had to choose between being with you and being able to give you your family back I would choose your family even though it would mean losing you to Anjela. I love you and that means I love all of you and I can wait, I've waited for three years what's a couple more weeks."

Jane put all his mental awareness to the forefront to avoid breaking down and crying in front of her, words were once again not enough to express the gratitude he felt for Lisbon's ability to love and sacrifice her happiness for the happiness of others. It seemed however that Lisbon understood how he felt once again without him having to speak. She pushed him softly until he was lying back on the couch and curled up on his lap with her ear resting against his heart. They lay there lying contently in each other's arms their minds filled with thoughts of each other.

Jane stroked her hair slowly for once at peace with his thoughts, he had been amazed at Lisbons words, he had thought that his love for her was immense but Lisbon took loving someone to whole new different level. Jane knew that she was by no means being submissive or obedient and he wouldn't have appreciated her if she did, but somehow she had concluded that he Patrick Jane was somehow worthy of her complete love, devotion and loyalty. It was a humbling thought and he vowed to do as much as he could to put his past behind him and try to be the person who could be deserving of Teresa Lisbon's love.

The room had grown progressively darker as he lost himself in his contemplations so that the next time he looked up all the lights in the bullpen was off and everyone seemed to have gone home. He also noticed that the beautiful woman in his arms had fallen asleep her breathing evened out, but her hand still clutched tightly to a fistful of his dress shirt as though to stop him from going anywhere.

Jane was uncertain if he should wake her or not. On the one hand he was loath to let her out of her sight for even a moment, on the other hand she might want to have a shower and sleep in her own bed. In the end he decided to leave the decision up to her, gently stroking her hair he whispered her name. "Teresa, wake up."

She snuggled into his chest mumbling incoherently. It was almost disgustingly cute and he couldn't help but be elated by her actions. He roused her again and this time she opened her eyes lidded with sleep. "Hey."

She smiled as she realised where she was. "Hey." And then she grew concerned.

"What's wrong?" She asked shifting to look around the room and then looking into his eyes hesitantly.

"Nothing is wrong love." She relaxed at the endearment. "It's just that me being the considerate boyfriend that I am wanted to know if you wouldn't prefer to sleep in your own bed."

"Boyfriend?" She scrunched up her nose in distaste of the juvenile and inaccurate moniker.

"Well I don't like the childish term as well but its the only thing that fits unless you want to make our relationship official so early on?" He grinned cheekily at her and she lightly swatted him on the chest choosing to ignore the fluttering in her chest at the suggestion. He continued. "But you're avoiding the question."

"Well are you planning to join me in my bed?" She asked bluntly.

Lisbon watched as his eyes darkened at her question and she resisted the urge to ravish him, it was obvious that she affected him just as much as he affected her and it was all she could do to hold back.

Jane being the mental master that he is, was able to control his desires somewhat to answer her. "You know I won't be able to hold myself back if we do that love."

She wanted desperately to tell him that she didn't want him to hold himself back, but she didn't she knew that while she didn't see the need to resist making love, it was important to him to do so. Jane was on a tenuous hold and he needed closure she will not be the one to deny him that by putting her desires above his needs. Instead she put her head down to his chest again to go back to sleep, saying along the way. "Well then I'm not going anywhere." She stated. "You're going away for three weeks remember; I'm not going to let you go unless I have to."

Jane smiled at her open affection. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you Teresa." He whispered.

Lisbon looked back up at him and leaned down to kiss him softly. As she pulled back she smiled at him. "I love you too, Patrick. Now go to sleep you have long drive tomorrow." She put her ear back on his heart and promptly fell asleep. Jane followed her advice and for the first time in years he slept peace fully with the woman he loved in his arms.

Lisbon was still staring at the phone as she remembered their goodbye's. It was sweet and quiet as they both had stood in each other's arms neither wanting to relinquish their hold on each other. Eventually Jane pulled back and kissed her one last time and promised to call her everyday. She promised him that if he didn't call she would drive over to Malibu and drag him by the ear back to Sacramento.

She had watched after him for a while after his blue Citroen death machine was gone and then shook herself and gotten back to work.

She was pulled out of her day dream by Cho's voice. "Boss?"

He could hear the concern in the normally stoic Agent. Cho and her had had a talk about what he had interrupted that night and he was surprisingly at ease with the whole thing saying that he trusted Jane to do right by her but if he broke her heart he would break both of his legs. He had said this with his face completely devoid of any emotion but Lisbon could easily sense the protective tone of his statement. She had been touched at the concern but informed him that he would have to dig him up because she would have killed him first.

Lisbon smiled at the memory and answered Cho. "Its Red John." Was all she needed to say.

Cho's face betrayed nothing. "Jane would want to know."

"I know but he was doing something important." She protested. "Plus he is suspended remember."

"It thought it was mandatory leave." She resisted rolling her eyes. "Any way I think he should be given the choice?"

Lisbon nodded. "You're right. I'll clear it up with Minnelli and then call Jane."

Twenty minutes later she was dialling Jane's number on her phone. Minnelli had been completely approving of bringing Jane back. She had to hold back an eye roll at the relationship between her boss and her consultant. She still didn't understand it.

Jane's voice called out to her on the other line.

"Teresa?" The concern in Jane's voice was evident as he was the one who normally called her. "Is everything alright?"

"Patrick, don't worry I'm fine but we just caught a case." She didn't elaborate any further and she didn't really need to.

"It's him isn't it?" His voice had a familiar edge to it that only Red John could cause.

"Yes, it is." He was silent. "Did you get everything you wanted done because Minnelli cleared you to work the case?" She hoped the helplessness in her voice didn't project into her voice because her happiness bubble had just been popped in light of this recent murder. But of course this was Jane she was talking to and he could always tell no matter if they were miles apart.

"Teresa this does not change anything. If we catch him then that's great but the progress we made will not be undone just because he decided to kill again." His voice was controlled and serious. "I'll pack up and meet you at the crime scene, where is it?"

"Palm Springs. Please be careful." She couldn't help add.

"Alright and I will don't worry and Teresa?"

"Yeah." She replied.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She replied relieved that the progress they had made wasn't for nothing. As sad as the murder will probably be she couldn't help being happy that she would be seeing Jane earlier than expected.

She was unusually on edge at the airport and it resulted in her snapping at the new addition to their team Van Pelt had been sufficiently cowed by her anger at her mistake but after Lisbon had sent her off she couldn't help feel a little like a bitch. It made her miss Jane more because he normally reigned in her impulse to strike out at innocent bystanders. She didn't feel too bad though, Van Pelt was still new and she didn't trust her like she did the boys enough to be herself. She had to fall back on being the boss. Besides the girl was too bubbly for her own good.

Her reunion with Jane was complicated by the fact that Rigsby and Cho were with her when they arrived at the morgue. As Jane had gotten out of the cab anyone watching would have noticed the immediate relaxation of Lisbon's shoulders and her trying to restrain herself from smiling too much.

They bantered back and forth about the Tolliver case good naturedly until they arrived at the door. Lisbon told the boys to go ahead and that they will catch up. Cho recognized her need to talk to Jane alone and proceeded to distract Rigsby and leading the way to the coroners office.

She felt Jane take her hand as the boy's rounded the corner. Lisbon squeezed his hand and then pulled him away to the side of the building. As soon as they were out of sight Jane pulled her in to join their lips in kiss full of love and promise. It was just like their first kiss and she couldn't get enough but the idea of Red Johns latest victim was a real dampener on the mood.

Jane pulled back as he felt her withdraw. "You okay?" He asked. She nodded and smiled slightly up at him.

"I'm glad you're back."

"So am I," he replied. "Although I do wish it was under better circumstances. On a happier note I did manage to get everything done. I'll fill you in on the details later."

"Do you think he knows?" She didn't need to say who they both knew who she was talking about. She wasn't scared that he could have found out about their relationship but she hated the idea that Red John had killed two people because he was angry at Jane trying to move on with his life with her. She didn't need that idea on her conscience.

Jane on the other hand was unperturbed. "Red John well and truly knows that you have been the person I care about the most for in this world, he's a psychopath not an idiot, he might have actually known about our feelings well before we even acknowledged it to ourselves. If had wanted to hurt me in that way he has had plenty of opportunities to try, but I think he knows what would happen if he hurts you."

She was captivated by the raw emotion in his eyes and she automatically asked him even though she probably didn't want to know. "What?" She asked.

"I barely survived the first time I'm certain that he knows I definitely won't survive it again. I won't survive losing you Teresa, and he knows that. Red John won't risk me dying when I'm the only one who's been able to challenge him intellectually in all the time that he has been killing. He enjoys our interactions more than I do and he seems to live off it. So no I don't think he intends to do you any harm. I mean if he wanted to do things that way he would have killed me off years ago I'm no match for him physically and he probably knows exactly where I am all the time."

Jane's argument did make sense but before she could comment he spoke again.

"And even if this really is Red John-" Lisbon interrupted him.

"What, you think this isn't him? Why? And how? You haven't even seen the file yet."

"Virgil gave me the cliff notes when he called me." Jane replied.

"You talked to Minnelli? When?" She asked.

"He called me on my way back, wanted to talk to me about something's and then he filled me in on the case. The MO seems completely off the rushed killing of the man with her is not Red John. He plans too carefully to slip up like that. The presence of a dead man with a supposed Red John victim does just not happen. I will know for certain once I see the bodies and the crime scene." Jane started to lead Lisbon back to the door with his hand on the small of her back. Lisbon stopped about halfway and turned to Jane.

"What did Minnelli call to talk to you about?" She asked curiously.

"Oh he called to threaten to use me as fishing bait if I were to ever break your heart." Jane replied airily and started walking back to the morgue entrance gaping at him in horror at the fact that their boss knew about their budding romance.

She shook herself and rushed to catch up to Jane in the hallway. Lisbon put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"He knows? How? What did he say? Are we in trouble? He's going to fire me isn't he? Oh god." Her hand was halfway towards her cross when Jane grabbed both her hands and held them in his. He gazed intently into her eyes as she looked up and tried to instil as much sincerity into his voice as he could so that she would not doubt his words.

"Teresa, do you really think I would let Virgil or anybody for that matter, break us up? And if anybody even thought of firing you because you're in a relationship with me then that will be the last day that Patrick Jane associates himself with the CBI.

Besides that's all pointless seeing as Minnelli has no problem with us dating, he knows the rules I'm not an agent, I'm a consultant it isn't prohibited, I looked that up two years ago, he was just concerned about my commitment to you."

Lisbon nodded. "No, you're right we aren't doing anything wrong. I just. I don't think I'm going to enjoy this case very much."

"Yes well since when is murder ever enjoyable." Jane opened the door for Lisbon to step through and then followed her in.

Paying no attention to the coroner he whispered in Lisbon's ear. "Love you."

She glanced at him and replied quietly. "Love you, too." But it seemed the coroner caught their whispering and sent them a death glare Jane looked sheepishly at Lisbon and then went to examine the body of Allison Randolph.

Lisbon and Jane had had a discussion about him keeping things about the case from her. She knew it was the showman in him from his life in the carnie but he irritated the hell out of her when he kept important things about the case from her only to do an elaborate reveal in the end that while entertaining usually resulted in more paperwork for her.

Jane had offered to let the team know from the start bit Lisbon didn't want to agree to that, it was in his nature to be flamboyant, charismatic, mysterious, and surprising she knew that Jane loved to show off his mentalist talents and she didn't want to take that away from him, so they came to a compromise he would tell her everything he was able to gather with his abilities, she would be in the know and try to rein in some of his more outlandish schemes while he would still be able to wow the rest of the team with his 'psychic' abilities not that she herself was immune because she was in the know. Knowing what Jane was going to do was one thing but seeing Jane do it was something else.

Patrick Jane in his element was mesmerising, he captured all of his audience into a hypnotic trans was completely unintentional every time and he captivated them until he finished his presentation.

So the fact that Jane suspected that the Palms Springs murders were not Red John murders was completely out of left field for the team when Jane announced his conclusion while Brett Paltridge was being his creepy ol' self. Lisbon and Jane played their parts perfectly, but in reality Lisbon was still a little uncertain if this wasn't Red John and that he was trying to catch Jane off guard.

In the end it all depended on how much she trusted Jane's instincts and she trusted them almost implicitly so she did her part and acted like she didn't believe his conclusion until the evidence said the same thing, she reprimanded him for calling Paltridge a ghoul and he threw a mock fit and stomped away presumably to sulk until Lisbon realized he was right and called him back.

At least that was what the team would think the reality was that now that he had determined that it wasn't in fact Red John he would go inspect the bodies again and instead of getting into the mind-set and play picturing the actions of Red John in relation to (insert name). He would now be picturing and getting into the mind-set of someone trying to imitate Red John and see the mistakes that they most certainly would have made.

Meanwhile Lisbon went back to Palm Spring PD to set up their base of operations.

When she arrived Van Pelt greeted her with a nervous smile and told her that she had set everything up, and she was right everything was arranged as it should be and apparently she already had her coffee waiting. Lisbon felt bad about treating their new addition roughly before and proceeded to praise her as adequately as she was able to.

After watching the videos of the crime scene Lisbon admitted to the team that it did not match up. She sent the boys to talk to the husband and then sat down at the desk Van Pelt had set up for her to call Jane.

Jane picked up the phone on the other end. "Hey love," he answered.

"Hey." Van Pelt was behind her so she had to play her part. "So you might be right about this case. Might be. Thanks for the insight."

"Oh someone's near you? Well I'll play my part. So you want me to come back?"

"No, did I say that? I am acknowledging the fact that you might be right, that's all. "

"You looked beautiful today you know that? A sight for sore eyes after two weeks."

Her lips quirked up slightly at the compliment and she continued. "I mean if you wanted to come back I couldn't stop you."

Jane chuckled and replied. "Teresa you could sometimes show the team that you care about me or else they'd think that you hate me."

Lisbon refrained from rolling her eyes; Jane was really getting into his role. "Fine, I'm asking you to come back."

"Whatever would you need me there for my love?" Jane asked in a lofty voice that made Lisbon want to punch him. He wasn't making this any easy for her.

"Because...because you're useful to the team."

"Hmm it's a tempting offer Teresa but you know what? You didn't say the magic word."

Lisbon was grateful for the opening Jane provided to end the call and she took it. "No! No, I won't say 'please'." She barked into the phone. "Go screw yourself."

She slammed the phone down on the table and cursed him. And as she had suspected Jane appeared in her peripheral vision looking at her mischievously.

She shook her head at him still a little bit frustrated from the call. She was not so much frustrated at his being a smartass as she was at the flirting he had been doing. If he didn't behave she might have to ambush him in his hotel room tonight.

It seemed as if Jane understood her dilemma because after Van Pelt left to set up his desk he came around to the back of her chair and lightly brushed her hair behind her shoulders to lay a soothing hand on her pulse point. The touch seemed more intimate than any of their previous kisses. It held a promise and it requested patience. She granted his request by leaning into his hand and feeling their connection as he brushed his thumb across her collarbone.

He was gone as swiftly as he came when Van Pelt returned but the slight touch had done its job. Her temper had been curbed; Lisbon thought to herself that she might just have to visit Jane's hotel room tonight anyway.

Jane and Lisbon were sitting down to eat a sandwich at the restaurant across from Dr Wagner's office where they had just been to interview him. Jane had acted a little weird around Wagner asking about their victim keeping diaries and asking him to give him some sleeping pills on the side. The diary talk she paid no mind but she knew for a fact that he had not needed sleeping pills for over a year now. He had told her once that the sleeping pills never stopped his nightmares instead they tended to trap him in them and prevent him from waking up.

Lisbon knew from experience that when started acting weird around a person of interest in their investigation then that person usually became their prime suspect. She didn't let on her suspicion to Wagner, but when they got out of the building she simply led him to the newrest restaurant and then told him to spill.

Jane smiled because he had had absolutely no intention of keeping Lisbon out of the loop but wanted to see if she would catch on to his behaviour.

"Well you remember that when we met Wagner for the first time he claimed to not have any knowledge of Red John?" He asked.

Lisbon nodded.

"Well while perusing his bookshelves I saw three books that include references to him, also two of those books actually go into minute details of his murders and illustrates every cut that Red John delivered on his victims. So naturally my conclusion was that he lied to us then I obviously wondered why. Why would he lie if he was innocent, if he had told us that of course he knew who Red John is, I mean what person in California hasn't heard of him, then we would not be suspicious of him. Very sloppy work if I do say so myself.

Lisbon considered all this while sipping her drink.

Then Jane spoke up again. "Oh and he is a qualified surgeon so he would have the necessary precision needed to successfully emulate Red John's signature decorations on his victims' bodies."

Lisbon nodded accepting his conclusions as it all made sense, however something else still didn't make sense to her.

"Jane?" She asked. "If you think the guy is a murderer then why did you set up yourself to be alone in a room with him? And yes I know that you knew that he wouldn't give you the pills unless he talked to you privately."

Jane grinned at her. The level of closeness they shared over the years meant that Lisbon could read him just as well as he could read her so he told her.

"Well I have a plan."

Lisbon sighed theatrically. "Oh no."

Jane ignored her and continued. Apparently he wanted her help to set up a meeting with Wagner, Jane had planted the idea of the victim keeping a diary subtly in his mind and tonight he planned to be up all night writing said diary. All Lisbon had to do was to call Wagner in the morning and setup an appointment when she saw that he didn't get any sleep. He would then plant the diary in her office and convince Wagner to go look for it. Jane would come back on the pretence of forgetting something in Wagner's office and upon not finding him there would look for him and discover him rummaging through the victims office Jane would convince him to let him look too and he would locate it and thank Wagner for helping him find it, Jane would have to start leaving but Wagner desperate to hide his guilt would try to stop him leaving with the evidence by probably pulling a gun on him and revealing himself.

Lisbon listened to him lay out his plan fascinated by the way he was able to predict Wagner's reaction by only spending a few minutes with him. But as much as she liked to see Jane in his element she did not miss the glaringly obvious flaw in his plan.

"Jane I agree that your plan has merit but I think you're forgetting the fact that he would probably have a gun trained on you by now."

Jane nodded at her. "Well what good is it going to do to know that he is our killer when you're going to be dead?" She stopped him when he tried to speak up. "And don't say that you trust us to save you. I mean fine, even if we were there, out of sight and you were able to get a confession out of him do you really think that we wouldn't put our guns down the moment he says that he'll shoot you if we don't?"

Jane smiled at her concern. "Don't worry about that. I'll be well out of harm's way by the time you will have to reveal yourself." At Lisbon's inquiring look he tapped his nose and smirked at her. "You will have to wait and see my love. It wouldn't do to have you know all of my secrets would it? I still want to be able to surprise you sometimes."

Lisbon's expression was calm but her eyes reflected the anger at his words. As much as she loved him she hated how infuriating he could be at times.

"Jane if it comes at the expense of you getting hurt then I'd rather not ever get to be surprised at your actions." She said to him and got up to leave but Jane quickly grabbed her hand. He looked imploringly at her, silently asking her to sit back down. She reluctantly complied with his request and sat back down.

Jane took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that; it wasn't my intention to make you angry Teresa."

"Well you did." She responded pouting that cute pout hers which made Jane smile as quickly as she got angry at him she really couldn't ever stay mad at him for too long so she had to smile back at him slightly.

"If it makes you happy then I promise to make sure that I am completely safe when confronting Wagner." He looked at her completely serious. This is our best chance of catching this guy. What do you say?"

"You promise?" She affirmed.

"I do."

"How?"

"I'll figure out a way. Trust me."

"All right then I'll go along with your plan. But I was really looking forward to tonight. And I want you to know that you owe me.

Jane's eyes widened at her words." Oh really. And what exactly were you planning to do tonight?"

"Oh nothing much, just something I've wanted to do for a while now" She smiled mischievously at him.

The look in her eyes spoke volumes and Jane had to look away before his excitement got the better of him. "Well I hope to pay back the debt I owe you soon enough."

All of a sudden Lisbon got serious. "Are you sure you're ready? I mean if you need more time I can understand. I can wait." She said positively.

Jane got up from his chair, walked around to hers and offered her his hand. She took his hand bemused and got up. Still holding her hand he led her out to the SUV and they got in. Jane reached out and put his hand on her cheek causing her to format that adorable dimple. He leaned in slowly until their lips met in a slow languid kiss while he buried his hand in her hair and they both got lost in the feelings that they induced in each other.

Jane eventually had to pull back as breathing became difficult. Both of them were panting heavily.

Once he caught his breath Jane caught Lisbon's eye, Lisbon looked deliciously ruffled and flushed. The moan that she had let out when he had deepened had left him wanting for more, but he had had a reason for kissing her like that.

"Teresa, there has never been a time, in the years that I have known you, that I have wanted you more than the first time we kissed and I have wanted you more and more every day since. The reason we stopped wasn't anything to do with you and everything to do with me, I needed to visit my family and tell them about you, yes I actually tried talking to them, and I needed to leave that life behind so I finally put the Malibu house on the market."

Lisbon couldn't believe that he was doing all this to be with her, she couldn't help but be apprehensive about it because it was all going so fast for her. What if one day he woke up and resented her for changing him so much.

As she was about to voice her concerns he took her hand in his. "I want you to know that I didn't do any of these things on a whim, I have been fighting this since I first got to know you and I don't want to fight it anymore."

Lisbon nodded reassured that they were doing right by themselves. Just then her phone started ringing, it was Cho, he wanted to let her know that they were closing up for the night and wanted suggestions of where they could have dinner.

She saw that the restaurant they had just eaten at was booking reservations and she grinned at Jane.

"Jane and I had lunch at a nice restaurant you can book us a reservation there, I'll send you the address. " Lisbon finalized the details of the case and hung up.

Jane was looking at her." You're telling them to have dinner here?" She nodded. "What are you planning?"

"Well we don't have to tell them you suspect Wagner but they have been around you enough to know when to be looking for signs. I want to throw them a bone, give them a chance to solve this case too."

Jane smiled at her "I like the way your mind works love."

Lisbon shot him a look. "Love?" Her expression neutral.

Jane back pedalled. "Well I just thought... It's just that... I mean I know it was presumptuous but..." He trailed off when he saw her laughing at him.

He waited her out partially enjoying the sight of Lisbon's amusement and partially annoyed that she had one upped him.

As she caught her breath she turned to look at him. "I can't believe I fooled you." She giggled a little bit more and then looked at him again. "But seriously you could call me that sometimes I usually am not too fond of pet names but I don't mind it so much coming from you. Just don't overdo it, alright?"

Jane spoke up. "Just so you know I will be getting you back for that. As for the other thing I think I can agree with that I like calling you Teresa more and I do it in front of them team as well."

"Do you think it's weird that I call you Jane even when it's just us. "

Jane shook his head. "Not really, I mean the only reason that I call you Teresa is because I called you that even before we were together and aside from introductions you have never called me anything other than Jane and honestly I don't mind. That's the important thing isn't it? Not what someone else thinks but what we believe is okay for us."

"What matters is what we feel for each other. " Jane reached out and brushed her hair back, revealing the dimple that was present because she couldn't keep her smile off her face, and cupped her cheek in his palm. She leaned into him closing her eyes as he leaned closer. And what matters is that I love you."

She could feel his soft breath on her lips as he spoke the words, just a hairs breath away from her and he was still holding back.

"I love you too. "She said wishing he would just kiss her." Jane please "

And he was kissing her again and all thoughts of dinner, appropriate pet names, Wagner and especially Red John was driven from their minds as they lost themselves, for the better part of the next hour, in each other.


End file.
